Events for : May 08, 2017

The stakeholder meeting for Trinity Aquifer brackish groundwater mapping projects will be held on Monday, May 8, 2017, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 pm at the Stephen F. Austin Building, Room 170, located at 1700 N. Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas 78701.
In 2015, the 84th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 30 directing the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to identify and designate brackish groundwater production zones in the state’s aquifers. Brackish groundwater is groundwater that is not fresh, ranging from 1,000 parts per million of total dissolved solids (the top end of fresh water) to 10,000 parts per million (seawater is about 35,000 parts per million).
The bill requires the TWDB to (1) determine the amount of brackish groundwater that a brackish groundwater production zone is capable of producing over 30- and 50-year periods without causing a significant impact to water availability or water quality, (2) provide recommendations for reasonable monitoring to observe the effects of brackish groundwater production, and (3) work with groundwater conservation districts and stakeholders in this effort.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend and participate. Presentation topics include:
• Opening remarks by the TWDB contract manager
• Introduction to the project team, objectives, and methods
• Discussion of the aquifer, including:
- Classification of brackish groundwater salinity
- Evaluation of potential production areas
- Modeling of the potential production areas
- Questions, comments, and input from stakeholders
Because the state’s databases do not include all water wells, it is particularly important for us to hear how people may or may not be using brackish groundwater.
The presentation and a summary of questions and answers from the meeting will be posted on the TWDB website. Additional information about the projects can be found at
www.twdb.texas.gov/innovativewater/bracs/projects/HB30_Trinity/index.asp.
If you have any questions or need more information, please do not hesitate to contact me or Mark Robinson (512-463-7657; Mark.Robinson@twdb.texas.gov).
Sincerely,
Erika Mancha, E.I.T.
Manager, Innovative Water Technologies
Texas Water Development Board
512-963-7932
erika.mancha@twdb.texas.gov